During 2015, CEMP monitoring was expanded to evaluate concerns raised by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) and other community members regarding potential impacts from mining operations on nearby edible plant species and species of high cultural value. Fruit bearing plants located near the Eagle Mine and the Humboldt Mill were identified as a priority for the study. They include: blueberry, juneberry, chokecherry, pin cherry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, thimbleberry, cranberry, juniper berry, and wild rice. Specific objectives of the monitoring program include:

Locate and identify edible and culturally-important plant species in the immediate vicinity/adjacent to the Eagle Mine and Humboldt Mill sites.

Use data/results to monitor short-term and long-term changes that may indicate impacts from mining activities.

The sample set collected during the 2015-2017 field seasons provides baseline data regarding metal concentrations in blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, and wintergreen plants and/or berries collected near the Eagle Mine and Humboldt Mill sites. Referencing these data in future years may help to support whether or not bioaccumulation of metals is occurring in these plant species. Due to a small sample size and various other potential confounding factors including regional variation, species specific differences, insufficient length of study, and potential alternate sources of pollution, any differences noted between control and test samples cannot be reliably attributed to mining activities at this time.

A complete data summary report for the 2015-2017 field season can be accessed here.

Each year, the SWP carries out split sampling at permit required monitoring sites at the Eagle Mine site and the Humboldt Mill (groundwater, surface water, and facilities) in conjunction with Eagle Mine’s scheduled monitoring. Split sampling is when a sample taken from a single source (ex. a groundwater well) is divided in two, with each sample analyzed by a different certified laboratory. The objective of the split sampling is to verify that independent lab results corroborate and are representative of environmental conditions. A summary of the split sampling results from 2017 is available here.

During 2017, CEMP in cooperation with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) began water quality monitoring at 8 sites in the headwaters of the Salmon Trout River. The headwaters of the Salmon Trout River begin as “seeps” or natural springs at locations where groundwater daylights and becomes surface water (see map of sites). Results of the monitoring will be used to assess potential impacts from mining activities to the Salmon Trout River. Please contact SWP for questions or comments on the additional monitoring locations at (906) 228-6095 ext. 13, or geri@superiorwatersheds.org.